The Jiu-Jitsu stars absent from the ADCC 2009

Nine days from the start of the competition in Barcelona, nearly all the categories are filled. At the moment, only the under-99kg division awaits its last three names.

The list of stars to shine in Spain is immense, with beasts like Robert Drysdale and Ronaldo Jacare; Saulo Ribeiro and Jeff Monson; Alexandre Ribeiro and Márcio Pé de Pano; Tarsis Humphreys, André Galvão and Bráulio Estima; Marcelo Garcia and Kron Gracie; Léo Vieira, Cobrinha and Rani Yahya all set for action.

Nine days from the start of the competition in Barcelona, nearly all the categories are filled. At the moment, only the under-99kg division awaits its last three names.

The list of stars to shine in Spain is immense, with beasts like Robert Drysdale and Ronaldo Jacare; Saulo Ribeiro and Jeff Monson; Alexandre Ribeiro and Márcio Pé de Pano; Tarsis Humphreys, André Galvão and Braulio Estima; Marcelo Garcia and Kron Gracie; Leo Vieira, Cobrinha and Rani Yahya all set for action.

Supermatch

Roger Gracie – surely the greatest absence of the event.

Over 99kg

Gabriel Vella – 2009′s ultraheavweight world champion.

Antonio Braga Neto – 2008′s super heavyweight world champion
Leonardo Leite – Ultra heavyweight runner up in 2008.

Under 99kg

Alexandre de Souza – world heavyweight world runner-up in 2009, European absolute champion of Jiu-Jitsu in 2008.
Roberto “Tussa” Alencar – world runner-up in 2007, third place at 2008 Worlds.

Alexandre Cacareco – heavy presence in last ADCCs, just missed several times, including in absolute.

Ricardo Arona – another one synonymous with the ADCC was confirmed and then canceled.

Under 88kg

Romulo Barral – two-time medium heavyweight world champion 2007/2009. World absolute runner-up in 2007/2009.
Demian Maia – champion in 2007, his UFC obligations keep him from Barcelona.

Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares – a fracture kept the BTT star from Barcelona.

Under 77kg

Sergio Moraes – middleweight world champion in 2008, middleweight world runner-up in 2009.

Renzo Gracie – ADCC legend who, should he participate in 2009, would be the only athlete in every edition of the event.

Lucas Leite – 2007′s middleweight world champion, 2009′s Pan-American world champion, third place at middleweight at 2009 Worlds.
Michael Langhi – Lightweight world champion in 2009
Celsinho Venicius – Lightweight world champion in 2008
Lucas Lepri – Lightweight world champion in 2007
Mike Fowler – Big surprise of 2007, beating Renzo and submitting Saulo.

Under 66kg

Royler Gracie –Three-time ADCC champion who dropped out in 2003, but who is missed to this day. Who could say Royler wouldn’t do well in Barcelona?

Mario Reis – runner-up in 2007, third in 2008 and 2009 at featherweight.
Bruno Frazatto – third in 2007, runner-up in 2008 and 2009 at featherweight.
Robson Moura – light featherweight world champion in 2007.
Bruno Malfacine – two-time roosterweight champion in 2007 and 2009.

Female

Under 60kg
Juliana Borges – under 60kg and absolute ADCC champion 2005
Leticia Ribeiro – featherweight world champion in 2009, third in 2007 and 2009.
Michelle Nicolini – featherweight world champion in 2007, runner-up in 2009.

Bianca Barreto – two-time featherweight world champion in 2008, 2009.
Leka Vieira – under 60kg runner-up in 2005.

Over 60kg

Ana Laura Cordeiro – medium heavyweight world champion in 2008.
Gabrielle Garcia – heavyweight world champion in 2008.

Did we forget anyone? Leave your comment.

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Galvao all set for ADCC

Andre Galvao has dedicated the last 12 months of his life to MMA. Since August 2008 he’s had four fights, winning three by submission and suffering one split (and controversial) decision loss, at Dream. Now the two-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion (2005, 2008) and runner-up (2006 and 2007) is back in the grappling game.

His win over Cacareco

The Fernando Terere and Eduardo Telles pupil, who once figured in two-time ADCC champion Leo Vieira’s team, is one of those favored to win the under 88kg category. The category has no owner, as 2007’s champion Demian Maia will not take part.

Direct from Rio de Janeiro, where he trains with beasts of the caliber of Anderson Silva and Rodrigo Minotauro, Galvao spoke with the GRACIEMAG.com at the ADCC Blog, and had the following to say:

Blog: How is your final stage of training for the ADCC going?

Galvao: I’m doing explosiveness training without the gi. I’ve been training without the gi for some time now. I haven’t been putting on the gi every day since I started fighting MMA.

Blog: To you is the ADCC closer to being MMA than Jiu-Jitsu?

Galvao: No, no. It’s certainly closer to Jiu-Jitsu. But even so I feel it’s much different from competing in the gi. Besides that, the opponents are different.

Blog: In 2007 you competed in the under 77kg category, but this year you moved up to 88kg. Who will be your main adversaries? Would you risk pointing out a favorite?

Galvao: I can’t leave out Braulio Estima, Rousimar Touquinho, Rafael Lovato Jr. or Tarsis Humphreys. Those guys are big-time tough with enormous submission grappling experience. As for a favorite, that all depends on what happens that day. There is no favourite.

The Fernando Terere and Eduardo Telles pupil, who once figured in two-time ADCC champion Leo Vieira’s team, is one of those favored to win the under 88kg category. The category has no owner, as 2007’s champion Demian Maia will not take part.

Direct from Rio de Janeiro, where he trains with beasts of the caliber of Anderson Silva and Rodrigo Minotauro, Galvao spoke with the GRACIEMAG.com at the ADCC Blog, and had the following to say:

Blog: How is your final stage of training for the ADCC going?
Galvao: I’m doing explosiveness training without the gi. I’ve been training without the gi for some time now. I haven’t been putting on the gi every day since I started fighting MMA.

Blog: To you is the ADCC closer to being MMA than Jiu-Jitsu?
Galvao: No, no. It’s certainly closer to Jiu-Jitsu. But even so I feel it’s much different from competing in the gi. Besides that, the opponents are different.

Blog: In 2007 you competed in the under 77kg category, but this year you moved up to 88kg. Who will be your main adversaries? Would you risk pointing out a favorite?
Galvao: I can’t leave out Braulio Estima, Rousimar Touquinho, Rafael Lovato Jr. or Tarsis Humphreys. Those guys are big-time tough with enormous submission grappling experience. As for a favorite, that all depends on what happens that day. There is no favourite.

Galvao vs Yoshida, ADCC 2007 absolute

Blog: You didn’t compete at the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship but are returning to the ADCC. Why this preference?
Galvao: I didn’t compete at the Worlds because I was training a lot without the gi for MMA. As for the ADCC, it’s a really good tournament. The recognition you receive is much greater than at the Jiu-Jitsu Worlds, mainly in the realm I am in, which is MMA. And there are also the money prizes, which help a lot. But I love Jiu-Jitsu and am dying to compete at a Worlds.

Blog: Looking back, what would you consider to be your greatest moment in the ADCC?
Galvao: Ah, for sure my matches with Cacareco, in the absolute third-place dispute in 2007, and with Mike Fowler, in the under 77kg third-place dispute. Those were great moments.

Arrochando Fowler

Blog: Can you recall any mistake you made in 2007 that you hope not to make this year?
Galvao: In the under 77kg semifinal I was ahead on the scorecards against Pablo Popovitch and decided to open up to do something more. There was a minute left in the match and I ended up getting surprised by him.

Blog: To you, who is the best of all in the ADCC?
Galvao: Roger Gracie. I remember in 2005 he finished everybory.

And what about you? Who is favored to win the under 88kg category? Leave your comment.

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When the underdog has his way

The under 66kg category of the ADCC was owned by the same guy since 1999. Without false modesty, shortly after taking his third, in 2001, Royler Gracie remarked: “Few have had the pleasure of being Jiu-Jitsu world champion four times in a row, as I have, and now three times in Abu Dhabi. This is unprecedented and unlikely to be matched,” said the Gracie after beating Hawaiian Barret Yoshida for his third.

So, when the ADCC disembarked in the Ibirapuera park, in Sao Paulo, on the 17th and 18th of May, 2003, the general expectation was that the three-time champion would at least make it to the semifinal of the under 66kg. From the way the brackets were set up, there Royler would face the rising star of Leo Vieira, then leader of Master, who would go on to win his first title in the final against Barret Yoshida.

The under 66kg category of the ADCC was owned by the same guy since 1999. Without false modesty, shortly after taking his third, in 2001, Royler Gracie remarked: “Few have had the pleasure of being Jiu-Jitsu world champion four times in a row, as I have, and now three times in Abu Dhabi. This is unprecedented and unlikely to be matched,” said the Gracie after beating Hawaiian Barret Yoshida for his third.

So, when the ADCC disembarked in the Ibirapuera park, in Sao Paulo, on the 17th and 18th of May, 2003, the general expectation was that the three-time champion would at least make it to the semifinal of the under 66kg. From the way the brackets were set up, there Royler would face the rising star of Leo Vieira, then leader of Master, who would go on to win his first title in the final against Barret Yoshida.

But on the path there was an underdog from California. Who had heard of Eddie Bravo? The American trials winner was losing the match when he managed to replace guard and sink a triangle on the distracted Gracie (photo above): “I don’t know how to explain it. It was really quick, as though I’d disconnected from the match for three seconds. When I came to, I was in a triangle,” Royler tried to explain after having tapped out for the first time in his weight category, with or without the gi. In the follow up, Leo didn’t give Bravo a chance in the semifinal.

Royler still went on to fight again and with an 8 to 0 score over Alexandre “Soca” Carneiro secured third place and his fourth time on the winners’ stand in a row for the Gracie Humaita leader. Eddie Bravo didn’t compete for third, alleging injury, and never again appeared in the ADCC.

The ADCC has seen other underdogs, not quite as unlikely, but underdogs nevertheless.

That very event, in the under 99kg category, Norwegian Jon Olav Einemo is to this day responsible for Roger Gracie’s lone loss in the ADCC (photo below). Then 21 years old, the current two-time absolute world champion was sincere in explaining his defeat: “Truth is, I underestimated the guy. I went in slow, to let him exert force and push the pace, but, when I realized what was going on, he was on my back.

Going back in time, in 1999, in Abu Dhabi, the underdog had his way in the under 88kg of the second installment of the ADCC. In the division considered the most evenly matched, a pair of Russians managed to made it through to the final in the presence of Renzo Gracie, Ricardo Libório, Fábio Gurgel and Amaury Bitetti. Kareem Barchlov (in the photo below throwing Liborio) and Alexander Savko decided the title, with Kareem, who curiously had Savko in his corner throughout the competition, taking gold.

In another leap in time, we arrive at 2007, when the ADCC touched down in New Jersey. Last event, it was Saulo Ribeiro who was surprised by an underdog (photo below on the right). Right in his second match in the under 77kg category, the two-time champion (2000 and 2003) was submitted by Mike Fowler, who earlier beat Renzo Gracie (photo below on left), another two-time champion (1998 and 2000). The Lloyd Irvin student, famous for his leopard spotted hair, took fourth after losing to Marcelo Garcia and Andre Galvao, in the third-place decider.

Rounding out the list of underdogs, we return to 2003. In Ibirapuera Park, only the absolute dispute remains. Signed up are Marcio “Pe de Pano” Cruz, Saulo Ribeiro, Marcelo Garcia (who had just run rampant in the under 77kg) and Jeff Monson, just to name the most famous. A little while on, we are at the final and untrue to expectations, the finalists are Alexandre Cacareco and Dean Lister, with the latter a true underdog. Firstly, Lister wasn’t even going to participate and only entered because Jon Olav dropped out. On his way to the final, the American went past Nathan Marquardt and ran into Saulo Ribeiro (photo below). Lister ended up beating the two-time champion with a kneebar in overtime.

The opponent in the semifinal was over-99kg champion Pe de Pano, a firm favorite. Lister held out against a choke from his back for five minutes to win in overtime. On Pe de Pano’s choke hold, Dean was nonchalant: “I’ve spent over 100 hours in triangles.” In the final, a quick ankle lock on Cacareco guaranteed him first place..

Can you think of any other ADCC underdogs? If so, please comment.

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